Automatic press



' F. s. CARVER AUTOMATIC PRESS Dec. 25, 1923. L478fi99 Filed Dec. 22. 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ec. 25, 1923. lfiwfiw F. s. CARVER AUTOMATI G PRES 5 Filed Dec. 22. 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 25, 1923. L478699 F.s CARVER AUTOMATI C PRES S Filed Dc. 22, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 25, 1923.. 1,478,699 F. S. CARVER I AUTOMATIC PRES S Filed Dec. 22. 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented ea. 25, 192 3..

FRED S. CARVER, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW .ISEY.

AUTOMATIC PRESS.

Application filed December 22, 1920. Serial No. 482,440.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED S. CARVER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Orange, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Presses, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a press for expressing fluids from material which is partly liquid and partly solid, and forming a cake of the solid material.

While the invention is capable of various applications, it will be described herein in connection with a cocoa press of the general type manufactured by European manufac turers and imported into this country, in which ground cocoa bean material is sub jected to hydraulic pressure to separate the liquid cocoa-butter, so-called from the solid cocoa which is formed into a hard cake.

The ground cocoa bean material is placed in pots and the liquor is expressed through filter pads. Before the pressure is applied to the ground cocoa bean material to express the liquor, it is necessary that the pots be closed tight so that there is no outlet for the fluid except through the filter pads.

The closing of the pots has heretofore been accomplished by a workman manually operating a screw and wedge arrangement for each pot, which has to be screwed up after the pots are in place and before the pressing operation is commenced, and unscrewed again after the pressing operation is completed.

The principal object of my invention is the provision of a press which can be easily and simply operated and in which the power supplied for the pressing operation is made use of preliminarily to the pressing operation for automatically closing the press pots, the closing of the press pots being automatically accomplished prior to the application of such power for the pressing operation and same being automatically opened after the pressing operation is completed. The closing of the press pots prior to pressing and the opening of the press pots after the pressing operation is completed is performed automatically and no attention thereto is required on the part of the press operator. Further objects of my invention subordinate to such principal object will appear in the course of the following description.

In the drawings forming a part of this the invention and not for limitation thereof, Fig. 1 is a side view of a cocoa press with parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the broken line 22, Fig. 3. Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical sectional views taken substantially on the broken line 3, 4-3, 4, Fig. 2, and showing the press pots in two diiferent positions Fig. 5 is a plan view and Figs. 6 and 7 are vertical sectional views of a modified form of construction, the sectional part of Fig. 5 being taken on the line 55, Fig. 6.

In the press shown for illustration reference character 10 designates the base of the press, which contains the hydraulic piston 11, and 12 the press head which is connected to the baselO by the four posts 13.

The press pots 14 are provided with side lugs 15 which run in runways 16 in the brackets 17, bolted to the base 10 and head 12. The press pots 14 are preferably constructed in accordance with my Patent No. 1,247,078 dated Nov. 20th, 1917, and have the upper portions 18 of their otherwise substantially cylindrical inner walls enlarged somewhat to permit the ready removal of the cake of cocoa 19 formed therein during the pressing operation. The press pots 14: have an inwardly extending bottom flange or lip 20 for supporting the piston 21 which forms a movable-bottom for the press pot.

Between the brackets 17 17 slidably mounted on the posts 13, 13 are a series of platens 22 which are provided on their upper sides with plungers 23 foractuating the pot pistons 21. Platens 22 are supported on the ledges 2t, 2% formed on the brackets or frames 17, the two ledges 24 of each pair of ledges in the series being separated a greater distance than the ledges of the next lower pair, so that, while the platens 22 can move upwardly freely, each thereof stops at its proper position during downward movement.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1-4 each of the platens 22 carries a pair of runway members 25 provided with runways 26 which when the platen is in the posiinterposed between platens 22 and the mem-- bers 25 borne thereby. In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4, bolts 27. having their heads 28 received in the bores 29 of the members 25 are screwed into collars 30 in platens- 22 and the telescopic connection thus made up, comprising the bolt 27 and sleeve 25' of the member 25, is surrounded by the expansion spring 31, which is normally under a considerable tension. The bores 29 of the members 25 have a stop lip or flange 32 at their lower ends. The bolts 27 are held from turning by means of pins or dowels 34: running in the ke slots 35 and the collars 30 are held in ad usted position by means of set screws 36.

The normal position of the runway members 25 is shown in Fig. 3, the member 25 being supported with its runway 26 in line with the corresponding runway 16 by the spring 31 controlled by the bolt 27.

It will be apparent that when platen 22 is moved upwardly the upward movement thereof is communicated to the pot 14 supported thereabove b springs 31 and the pot is moved upwar 1y until it. comes into contact with and is stopped. by the cover or closure member 37 on the platen 22 on the lower face of platen 22 next above in the series, or in the case ofthe uppermost pot, on the press head 12. After all the ts are closed in this manner the plunger 23 of the platen 22 comes into contact with pot piston 21 and forces it upwardly, expressing the liquid material and forming the cake 19 of solid cocoa! within the pot,

the bolt 27 and the sleeve 25' of the member 25 telescoping upon one another and thespring 31 being compressed as shown in Fig. 4. Upon downward movement of the press piston 11, after the pressing operation is completed, the plungers 23 re treat from the press pots 14 and the relas .tive lifting of the latterby the expanding action of springs 31 being limited by bolts 27, the parts are restored to the position shown in Fig. 3, thereby automatically opening up the press pots, so that they can be drawn outv upon their runways 16 and the cakes of solid cocoa 19 removed therefrom, it being understood that as the platens 22 move downward each thereof is stopped the o eration of the contents. .v

upon reaching its respective supporting ledges 24, 24.

The modified construction of Figs. 5, 6 and 7 differs from that described, in two principal respects. The runways 26 are replaced by supporting tracks 26 dependin from the lower sides of platens 22 an permitting free upward movement of pots 14 and ledges 15 relative thereto. A ring 25 on the top of the platen surrounds the laten plunger 23 and is pressed upward y springs 31 and its upward movement under the action of said springs is limited or controlled by ad'ustable bolts 27 3 adapted to telescope into t e ring 25.

With this arrangement it will be seen that the preliminar upward movement of the press pots to clbse or seal the same is accomplished through the action of the spring supporting the ring 25 acting upon the bottom of the press pot, and that the the in or pressing position are separate from the ring 25 which has the function of preliminarily raising the press pot to close the same. In other words, the platens are provided with runways or guides for the press pot which comes underneath the same and 1s closed thereby, and the spring means for the preliminary] closing of the press pots is on top of t e platen and is applied to the ot next above the platen in the series. ith this construction the preliminary t closing pressure is applied uniformlya ut. the margin of the pot and the manufacture and assembly are extremely simple. With the differences noted, less is the same as descri d in connection with the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4. 1

'As already stated, 'my invention has various applications and I do not desire to-be limited by the particular embodiments described and shown,a:nd numerous changes and modifications may be resorted to within the scope of my claims and without departing from the principle of my invention.

7 I claim:

1.- In a press, a pot, means for applying pressure to the contents of the pot, and means for automatically closing the pot prior to the application of pressure to its 2. In a press, apot, means forapplying pressure to the contents of the pot, an

means operated from thefirst named means pressure to the contents of the pot from beneath, and yieldable means connected with the first named means and adapted to yieldably force the pot against a closure prior to the application of pressure to its contents.

5. n a press, a pot, a plunger adapted to apply pressure to the contents of the pot, a yleldable support for the pot partaking of the movement of said plunger, and adapted to move the pot against a closure prior to the application of pressure to the contents of the pot by such plunger.

6. In a press, a pot, a plunger adapted to apply pressure to the contents of the pot, spring means for lifting said pot connected to move with said plunger, and a closure for said pot located thereabove, whereby upon upward movement of the plunger the pot is yieldably forcedagainst the closure prior to the application of ressure by the plunger to the contents of the pot. V

7. In a press, a series of pots, a series of platens provided with closures for pots and with plungers adapted to apply pressure to the contents of the pot and located between the pots, a series of telescopable spring supported members connected to move with said platens, whereby the pots are yieldably forced against the closures prior to the application of pressure by the plungers to the contents of the pots.

8. In a press, a pressure piston and an opposing head, a series of slidably mounted platens between said piston and head, said platensihaving runways for the reception of press pots and being provided on their lower faces with closure means, and means on said platens for gieldably raising pots thereabove, whereby w en the piston is moved toward the head the pots are first forced against the closures prior to application of pressure to the contents of the pots.

9. In a press, a press piston and a press head opposed thereto, a series of platens slidably mounted between said piston and head, each of said platens being provided with a plunger on its up er side and a closure for a press pot on its ower side, and said platens being provided with runways for head opposed thereto, a series of platens slidably mounted therebetween, and means for selectivel stopping the downward movement of sai platens in spaced relation to one another, said platens being provided with runways for press pots, stationary runways for press pots opposite said runways on the platens when the latter are so stopped and supported, lungers on top of each of said platens and pot closures on the lower sides thereof, and telescopic spring pot raising means upon the platens whereby upon upward movement of the press piston the pots on the platen runways are yieldably forced upwardly against their closures prior to application of pressure to the contents of the pots by means of the plungers.

11. In a press, a piston, an opposing press head, a plurality of slidable platens therebetween, means for supporting said platens in spaced apart relation, for the insertion therebetween and removal therefrom of press containers for partly solid and partly liquid material from which the liquid material is to be expressed leaving a cake of solid material, and spring means on said platens for bodilymoving said containers and adapted when the press piston is actuated to force said containers against the adjacent platen or press head and to seal same prior to the application of pressure to the contents of the containers.

12, In a press, a piston, an opposing press head, a plurality of slidable platens there between, means for normally supporting said platens in spaced apart relation, tracks beneath the platens for receiving and temporarily supporting press containers for partly solid and partly liquid material from which the liquid is to be expressed leaving a cake of solid material, spring supported members on top of the platens and adaptedto contact with press containers thereabove at substantially the margin thereof, whereby when the press iston is raised the containers are forced against the platen or press head thereabove to seal the containers prior to the application of pressure to contents of the containers,

13. In a press, a press piston and an opposing head, a series of slidably mounted platens between said piston and head, said platens having closures in their lower faces for press pots, runways for press pots fixed to said platens beneath the same, and means on said platens for yieldably raising pots thereabove and forcing the pots against the Mid llil

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closures prior to application of pressure to v for supporting press pots therebetween, said plungers being adapted to apply pressure to the contents of the press pots, and springs interposed between said plungers and press pots for yieldably forcing said press pots Iild Iliad against the closures located thereabove, prior to application of pressure to the contents of the pot by means of said plungers.

15. In a press, a pot, means for applying 6' direct pressure to the contents of the pot from beneath, and yiel'dable means connected with the first named means constructed to apply substantially uniform pres-- sure around the periphery of the pot to B force the pot against a closure prior to the application of the direct pressure to is contents.

16. In a press,

a. plurality of pots, means for applying pressure to the contents of of stops out of alignment relatively to each other for normally maintaining the platens in relatively different positions.

In testimony that I claiin the foregoing,

I have signed my name hereto.

FRED S. CARVER. 

